In recent past, concrete block walls for houses and other buildings were insulated with foamed resin paneling around their exteriors below ground level. Such insulation paneling was not extended above ground level, because the paneling could not withstand the harsh environment above ground. This left concrete block walls uninsulated from the ground level up to the sill level at the top of the wall. Presently, however, building codes have been changed to require that block walls be insulated all the way to the top of the wall above ground level. One way of doing this is to extend the foamed resin insulation paneling above ground level, secure it to the wall, and cover its exterior with a protective grout of a concrete-like material. Besides the extra expense, this raises problems of adherence and durability of the grout.
Various ways of insulating concrete block walls have been suggested in the patent literature, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,123,881; 4,269,013; and 4,312,164. The insulation methods of these patents are all relatively expensive, and none of them are competitive with foamed resin insulation paneling on the exterior of a wall below ground level. It is also possible to pour particulate insulation material into the hollow interior spaces of a concerete block wall, but this too is more expensive than foamed resin insulation panels. Especially now that building codes require insulation up to the sill level of concrete block walls, a low cost and effective way of insulating the top few courses of such walls is needed.